Eritrea is gaining strategic importance as geopolitical competition intensifies across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. The country controls more than 1,000 kilometers of coastline, as well as the strategically located ports at Assab and Massawa near the Bab el-Mandab Strait, a crucial global shipping passage. These assets, alongside Eritrea’s relative stability, have increased the country’s value to regional powers as attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels threaten maritime traffic. Eritrea’s position is also becoming more significant amid tensions with neighboring Ethiopia, which has sought direct access to the Red Sea since Eritrea became independent in 1993. However, Eritrea’s strategic value contrasts sharply with its authoritarian political system and severe human rights record. Experts warn that the absence of strong institutions could make the country vulnerable to instability after President Isaias Afwerki, who has ruled the country since independence, leaves power.